


The Reality of Fairy Tales

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I need you to give Jack tons of kisses for me.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reality of Fairy Tales

**Author's Note:**

> I’m still working in my fanon where Haley survives Foyet’s attack. Spoilers for The Slave to Duty.

Emily was coming out of the shower when she heard her cell phone ring. The Carpenters ring tone, _Close to You_ , was second nature to her. She dashed out into the room, naked, and picked it up.

“Hold on, don’t hang up.”

She didn’t hear a response because she was already heading back to the bathroom. Emily ran a towel over her body and then put on the tee shirt and shorts she left folded on the closed toilet seat…his tee shirt and shorts. Taking a deep breath, she went back out to the phone.

“Hello,”

“You sound out of breath,” Hotch said. “Are you alright?”

“You caught me getting me out of the shower.” She replied.

“Now that was just the visual I needed.”

“I'm glad I could help.”

“It’s a bit early to be back at the hotel.” Hotch said.

“Morgan said we’re going in with fresh eyes in the morning. I think he’s right. So much has happened lately; it’s harder to focus. The Unsub is focused on what he needs to do. We have to get there so we can catch him.”

“What's happening there?”

“We’re not going to talk about that.”

“Em…”

“How’s Jack?” Emily didn’t want to talk about Nashville. The whole case made her sick to her stomach. Cases surely did that more than she would admit to anyone other than her therapist. Something about this was different though.

“He’s adjusting. Jessie’s going to help us out as long as we need her. I think that’s as good for her as it is for Jack. She feels so helpless right now; knows there's nothing she can do for Haley. Even Steve has started going home at night.”

“What are the doctors saying?” Emily asked.

It had been nine days since Haley had been shot and left for dead. Just nine days and they were supposed to go on as if nothing had changed. Everything changed and they couldn’t pretend it hadn’t. Hotch wasn’t with them; no one knew if he would be again. Emily didn’t even know. He told her about his leave of absence right after the inquiry into Foyet’s death. He needed to get out of the darkness for a while and be a father to Jack. He needed to clear his mind, prioritize, reorganize, and decide where the future would take him.

The past three years had been quite a journey for Aaron Hotchner. He thought maybe life was settling again, different but calm. Then a maniac broke into his home and stabbed him nine times. It was over now, but he wasn’t sure if it would ever truly be. The only way to describe how he felt was shell-shocked, and even that was putting it mildly.

“They say she's a fighter. They're still keeping her under most of the time though she has been conscious for a few hours here and there. Her vitals get stronger everyday and she responds to pain stimulus. Everyday is a new day; Haley is still alive. It’s difficult for Jack because Jessie and I have both decided the hospital is no place for a little boy. God forbid Haley doesn’t make it…I don’t want machines and tubes to be his last memory.”

“Of course not.” Emily replied.

“Jack and I just say our prayers every night and think positive thoughts. No matter what happens, I'm, we’re, going to take care of him.”

“Yes, we are. I love you, Aaron.”

“I love you too, baby. You sound really tired.”

“I am tired, and this case…” Emily stopped. She wasn’t going to discuss that with him. The last thing they needed to talk about right now was crime scenes and Unsubs. As much as she wanted to let it all go, Emily wasn’t sure if she was talking to Hotch or Aaron. Hotch was taking a leave of absence from the BAU and Prentiss planned to respect that.

“What's the matter, baby?” Hotch asked. “I'm here and I'm listening.”

“Nothing. I mean…Aaron, it’s been a long week. I know that and you know that. The hot shower helped.”

“I should be there. I should be there to support my team and to hold you in my arms. I'm sorry.”

“Stop that. We promised each other to stop apologizing for things like that a long time ago. You need this time and I refuse to take your attention away from it.”

Hotch already knew some of the details of the case in Nashville; he talked to Rossi. The victims bore a stroking resemblance to Prentiss; that’s what he was told. They were beautiful, above-average intelligence, professional, and in their thirties. The Unsub apparently stalked them, did his version of wooing, broke them down, and murdered them. Hotch knew Emily well; she had to be feeling that.

She probably felt vulnerable, angry, and alone. Where was he? He was hundreds of miles away at his ex-wife’s bedside. Hotch constantly tried to figure out what he’d done to have Emily love him. Whatever it was, he wasn’t doing it right now.

“I have a surprise for you when you come home.”

“What?”

“I have a surprise for you when you come home.”

“What is it?” Emily asked, managing a weary smile as she lay back on the pillows.

“Telling you would ruin the surprise. You're going to love it though.”

“Animal, vegetable, or mineral?”

“You'll see.”

“Give me a hint, Aaron. C'mon, it’s going to drive me crazy.”

“Just know you're going to love it. Think about that when it gets to be too much. Think about how much I love you and how I can't wait to have my arms around you again.”

“I will,” Emily tried to take a deep breath. She swallowed the tears, dammit she was not crying anymore. Someday soon this would all be a memory. It would just be another hurdle she and Aaron stepped over on the way to their happiness. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, Emily Prentiss.”

“I need you to give Jack tons of kisses for me.”

“You know that I will.” Hotch replied.

“Tell him how much I love him.”

“Always. Are you sure you don’t want to talk a little bit about the case?” He asked.

“I want Aaron for a few minutes, not Hotch. Hotch is on a leave of absence from the Bureau.”

“OK. Can I tell you a story?”

“What's it about?” Emily asked.

“It’s about a man so in love that he’s willing to travel all over the world, and back, to get to the woman who has his heart. It doesn’t matter if the miles are literal or figurative, he’ll stop at nothing to be with her.”

“How does the story end?”

“You told me some time ago that you don’t like to be spoiled.” Hotch said. “Are you retracting that statement?”

“No, I just don’t think of it as spoiled. Sometimes turning the pages gets difficult; you just don’t know how much more pain you can bear. If you take a little peek at the end and know there's hope for the characters you’ve come to love, you can keep going through the hard chapters.”

“So you want to know the ending?” He asked.

“Yes, please.”

“And they all lived happily ever after. As long as they have each other, they all lived happily ever after.”

***


End file.
